"The oil obtained from shale by the retorting methods presently used by the U. S. Bureau of Mines is found to be a black. heavy material of very complex chemical structure. and contains large amounts of unstable and unsaturated compounds. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to improve the qua1lty, quantity, and stability of the shale oil through hydrogenatlon. One objective of the study was to determine whether or not shale could be hydrogenated directly at temperature below that at which thermal decomposition of the organic material in the shale begins. A second object1ve was to investigate retorting of shale in a high pressure hydrogen atmosphere, and to study the effects of hydrogenation catalysts on this process. In order to avoid duplication of previous hydrogenatlon studies no dispersing medium for the shale was employed."